About Storz & Bickel and the Volcano

The Volcano Classic was the first product created by Storz & Bickel and started a 20-year tradition of German vape device manufacturing for the medical cannabis market. 

Today the Volcano remains the company’s flagship product and one of the best-known vaporizers on the medical cannabis market. 

History of the Volcano

From the beginning, inventor Markus Storz’s vision was to produce vaporizers for medical purposes, and Storz & Bickel has stayed true to his vision for over two decades. Becoming part of medical cannabis history, in 2010 Storz & Bickel became the first company worldwide to certify a cannabis vaporizer as a medical device. 

In 1996, Markus Storz came across an article suggesting that herbs do not necessarily have to be burned, but can also be inhaled in a more gentle way, by means of vaporization. He was intrigued by the idea and built a vaporizer using a glass pipe and a hot air gun. The mode of operation was convincing, but the handling of the heat gun was laborious and unwieldy, so he began to build a device that would simplify the approach.

The first version of the Volcano was simply a housing constructed around a heat gun.  However, as heat guns emit carbon particles into the air, Markus had to come up with a clean method of vaporization.

The second version of the Volcano included a heating element, air pump and a bimetallic regulator. By 2000 the inventor had assembled the first 100 Volcano vaporizers in his basement and sold them under the brand name Vapotec Inhalatoren, serving a niche market as one of the first electronic vaporizers worldwide.

The technology developed by Markus Storz for the Volcano later continued to be developed and improved, but its basic principles are still in use today.

In 2002 Markus’ friend Jürgen Bickel joined forces and founded STORZ & BICKEL GmbH & Co. KG with headquarters in the Ehrenbergstraße in Tuttlingen. Tuttlingen is a German town with almost 500 medical device manufacturers, reputed to be the center of medical technology, where the first factory for the production of surgical instruments was built more than 150 years ago.

The two entrepreneurs recognized the potential of the US market and began manufacturing devices for the North American market in 2003.  In order to be able to serve the US market Storz & Bickel America Inc. was founded in 2005, with headquarters in Oakland, California.

In 2010 Storz & Bickel became the first company worldwide to certify a herbal vaporizer for medical use, the Volcano Medic. Over the years the company launched subsequent models, including vape devices: Mighty, Crafty, Mighty Medic, Plenty and Volcano Digit.  

The company holds certification for a quality management system according to ISO 9001 and 13485, fulfilling the essential requirement for manufacturing medical devices.

About the Volcano Classic

While there are many vapes and vape systems available today, the Volcano Classic’s medical grade components and German engineering still makes the Volcano a popular vape device option for consumption in homes, hospitals and long term care facilities in countries where medical cannabis is legal. 

The device produces high quality vapor very quickly and still leads the market in several factors. 

Easy to Use

The Volcano has a reputation for reliable, efficient, excellence performance, without a great deal of setup time required. Unlike most dried flower vape devices, instead of taking a draw of vapor from the device itself, the Volcano fills a bag/balloon with vapor. 

The system is easy to load and assemble, and fills bags quickly with cool vapor. The device takes approximately six minutes to achieve the desired heat, and then patients can fill up one bag at a time, or several bags at a time (bags of vape can be used at a later time). When filled, the bag can be removed from the device and then easily breathed in through the mouth. 

The design of the system includes a large heat exchanger and convection air stream, allowing it to deliver precisely measured, on-demand heat. The bowl containing dried cannabis flower can be removed between uses and because there is no direct inhalation of the device itself, no vapor is lost. The system can also create cannabis vapor from concentrate, making it highly versatile. 

Testing & Warranty

Storz & Bickel is the industry leader when it comes to product testing, certifications and warranty. All of their devices are designed and manufactured in Germany and the Volcano has electrical certifications (DIN EN ISO 60 335), has been tested and certified by TÜV SÜD (the ‘Southern Technical Inspection Association’) in Munich, Germany, and the Volcano Medic is certified in Israel and Canada as a medical device. The Volcano comes with a three year warranty on workmanship and defects.

Who is the Volcano for?

Starting at over $500, the Volcano (as with many high-quality, german engineered products), can be an expensive choice. It will appeal to someone who wants strong, fast-acting effects with little effort required. The reliable and versatile device (supporting both dried flower and extract) contains no glass and is extremely durable.  The medical grade components protect the flavor and are extremely efficient, and the balloon and valve approach feels like breathing, with no resistance.

Medical Cannabis by Shoppers is proud to carry two Storz & Bickel products - The Mighty Vaporizer and the Volcano Classic, which comes with four balloons. Depending upon usage the balloons will last from 1-4 years. Replacement balloons can be purchased separately.